Itaedia's Antlers
The Court at Itaedia's Antlers is marked on most maps with warnings of death. Oberon, the lord there, does not take kindly to unsolicited visitors, and his Nightwalkers enforce this. The Antlers themselves are made up of millions of giant trees, dozens of Watchers, and is completely covered in a thick layer of moss. The base is covered with several colonies of Myconids who cling to the more ancient Myconid ways, and refure to leave the protectors who have retired into the Antlers. One the whole, the structure looks like a huge mountain made of green, soft branches that do, in fact, imitate the shape of a stag's antlers. Treants of the Antlers Providing information on the goings-on of the forest, as well as dealing with the more illustrious guests, the Treants of the Anlters have long been the official protectos of the Myconids, and speak on their behalf in the Court. Lesser Treants Smaller in stature, these treants tend to less important guests, and those whom Oberon doesn't wish to acknowledge. Frequently sending out for inquests and small matters of state, they are in constant commune with the birds of the forest, primarily sparrows. The Watchers Hollow, ancient treants, long weary of the hustle-and-bustle of mortal life, retire to the innermost parts of the Antlers, and act as wardens to the temporary prisoners, unwanted guests, and those guests of low rank within the court. The Sacred Hunt One of the most important aspects of life in the Antlers is the Sacred Hunt, of which Oberon is the huntsman. Whenever a hunt, be it a herd of Yoonda tracking food, an Imperial King entertaining guests, or a poor farmboy chasing a rabbit for dinner, they must first seek the blessing of Oberon, even if it is unconsciously. Frequently, Oberon will leave the political matters of his realm to join in these hunts by going on one himself; his outcome determines that of the hunt he is participating in. The Black Hounds The ancestors of the werekin Clan of the Black Hound, Oberon's hunting dogs were, purportedly, a gift from his father. Honored by the members of the Court, when not on the hunt, they walk about on hind legs and wear red sashes. Frequently, they can be found in the inner chambers discussing new strategies for the next hunt, and arguing over the specific scents of the newest harts in the court. They make it their business to look in on all other hunts across Itaedia, and like to review the past hunts of famous kings. As of late, they have been particularly interested in the strategies of the Huntlords who beset Haavermark. When meeting the harts in the court, the hounds are very cordial, and there is a sence of camraderie between them. Of course, the oldest harts, who have been with the hounds for many centuries, are respected by them, and the hounds can be often seen trying to get a better whiff of those harts, or trying to trip them up in coversation, asking their favorite means of escape. The Twelve Harts Among the most honored members of the Court, the twelve Harts The Oubliettes Deep in the roots of the Antlers, one can hear the moanings and the laments of those whom he has condemned to the Oubliettes. Those prisoners whose crimes Oberon has deemed most grevious, or if he simply has many more pressing matters and wishes them to suffer some punishment until he meets with them, are sent each to their own Oubliette. Each Oubliette is perfectly round, and the echoes within them are disturbing, and the distant sound of slowly dripping water is always heard. However, no food, nor water is ever given to the inmate, and by magical means they are kept from dehydration and starvation. They cannot even sleep, for the singluar echoes of the place make the very sound of breathing a terrible, weedling noise. Within the Oubliette, the walls are coated in Myconid's Tears, a mild tonix that causes self-loathing and doubt, and after prolonged exposure the most awful hallucinations. The Prisoners of Graev'tch Many of those left in the Oubliettes are, in actuallity, prisoners of the previous lord, Oberon's father, whom had instructed Oberon never to release them. Unseen for almost two millenia, no one knows how these prisoners are being kept alive, why they had been imprisoned, or even their species. They have been locked away for so long, the languages they plead in are no longer spoken, and likely they hail from kingdoms that no longer exist and aren't to be found in any tome or history. The Nightwalkers Also a gift to Oberon from his father, the Nightwalkers are an immortal army of men who, by night, become giants made of the night sky itself, within whom every star is an all-seeing eye cast every which way. They are silent, and take this huge form whenever in a dark place. They carry no weapon, for they are, themselves, able to transform their limbs into spears and axes, and can strike from great distances. When in a bright spot, the Nightwalkers are as men in obsidian armour, whose faces are obscured. They carry great staves with jagged blades upon one end, and never speak. Category:Anthropology